Frequently asked questions

1. Which browsers can be used to access the Go&Deal environment?

If you are logging into the dashboard using either the e-Business or
Isabel card, you will only be able to access Go&Deal using
Internet Explorer. If you are using any other method of
authentication, for instance, Mobile Sign, you will be able to access
Go&Deal from any browser.

2. Why can I not launch my Go&Deal?

Problems related to launching the platform are often due to a pop-up
blocker in your browser. If you use a pop-up blocker, it may be
preventing the Go&Deal screen from launching. Please turn off your
pop-up blocker and try again. If the issue persists, please contact
24+ via ebc.desk@kbc.be

3. Executing foreign exchange transactions

5. What are foreign exchange risk and interest rate risk and why protect
yourself against them?

Companies active on international markets operate in an open global
economy where everything is interconnected. Events that take place in
the international financial and monetary markets may have a major
impact on your business.

The substantial fluctuations of foreign currencies against the euro
have rekindled awareness of the exchange risks among many business
leaders. Foreign exchange rates directly affect:

Commodity Prices

Value of foreign investments and sales

Competitiveness of your business on domestic and foreign
markets

But it’s not just exchange rates that are affected. Interest rates
also have an impact on the value and profits of your business.

If you have a very small gross margin business, it’s extremely
important to limit the effect of currency fluctuations through
hedging. KBC is your ideal partner for this. We’ll thoroughly
analyse the risks you might be exposed to and develop appropriate
financial instruments to ensure those risks are properly managed. This
will give you the freedom you need to do business in an international
economy.

6. What is a spot transaction?

With spot or cash transactions, payments are settled two working days
after the transaction is concluded, so the value date is T+2. If
settlement has to be sooner than T+2, such as the day of the
transaction (T) or the next business day (T+1), the price has to be
adjusted based on the interest rate spread between the two currencies
for the given term.

Spot value dates and spot exchange rates are used for most currency
pairs. The standard value date for spot (cash) transactions is T+2.
Some currencies are settled T+1 like the Canadian dollar and the rouble.

7. What is a forward foreign exchange contract?

Transactions to be carried out in the future are called forward
transactions or outright transactions. These are transactions with a
value date beyond two business days (T+2). When you enter into a
forward contract, the spot price has to be adjusted based on the
interest rate spread between the two currencies for the given term.

Where the interest rate for the counter currency is higher than that
of the main currency, basis points are added to the spot price. This
is called a premium. The opposite is called a discount, where base
points are deducted from the spot price.

Forward rate = spot rate + swap points

Example

Suppose you want to purchase 500,000 US dollars in three months’
time (90 days) and to pay for this in euros. The bank wants to hedge
that risk itself and immediately invests in US dollars, so that the
amount plus interest over those three months will amount to 500,000 US
dollars. In order to make that investment, the bank first takes
out a loan in euros.

That amount is then converted at a spot rate to an investment in US
dollars. On the expiry date, 500,000 US dollars is placed against the
amount borrowed and the interest payable in order to determine the
forward rate. This is illustrated by the calculation below.

In order to be able to give you 500,000 US dollars in 90 days’ time,
the bank must now invest 498,132 US dollars at an interest rate of
1.5%. At a spot rate of 1.30, it has to borrow 383 178.47 euros for
this purpose. On account of the euro interest rate of 1%, the bank
ultimately has to repay 384 136.41 euros. The forward rate is
therefore 500,000 US dollars / 384,136.41 euros = 1.30162

8. What is a currency swap?

A foreign exchange swap transaction is a combination of a spot
transaction and a reverse forward transaction. The parties involved
exchange an amount in one currency for an amount in another currency
and agree to reverse this transaction again after a certain period of time.

Businesses use foreign currency swaps to manage their cash flows.
Swaps can be useful in a number of situations.

Some examples

Deferring payment of
invoices requiring foreign currency purchases to sell back the
foreign currency on the original contract date and buy back the
foreign currency on the new contract date

Obtaining
temporarily required US dollars for your business with a positive
euro account balance by buying (rather than borrowing) the amount in
US dollars with the proceeds from selling euros today (perhaps
converting the amount in US dollars back into euros at a later
date)

You can execute currency swaps using Go&Deal. Contact our
Corporate Sales team on + 32 2 417 28 09 for more details and help.

9. What is a currency option?

If you want the certainty of a guaranteed minimum or maximum rate
while still benefiting from favourable exchange rate movements,
currency options are worth considering.

They give buyers the right to buy (call) or sell (put) an agreed
amount in a particular currency at an agreed exchange rate either on
(European style) or until (American style) a specified date.

If the buyer of a currency option exercises their right, the seller
(or writer) of the currency option must deliver (call) or sell (put)
the amount in the agreed currency and at the previously determined
exchange rate. In order to obtain that right, the buyer of the
currency option pays the seller a premium.

A currency option therefore offers a major advantage in relation to
a forward contract in that you can follow favourable price
developments and avoid negative ones. Buyers do, however, have to pay
sellers a premium for this extra advantage. That premium depends in
particular on the term of the option, the protection level (= the rate
at which the option can be exercised) and of course the amount of the exposure.

Since the exchange rate always indicates the relationship between
two currencies, a call in one of those currencies is necessarily a put
in the other. The right to buy euros against dollars at an agreed rate
is also the right to sell dollars against euros at the same price.

A European-style option can only be exercised on the expiry date,
while an American-style option can be exercised on any business day up
to and including the expiry date. When an option is exercised, the
currencies will be exchanged on the value date, i.e. two business days later.

Contact our Corporate Sales desk on + 32 2 417 28 09 for more help
with currency options, which can’t be traded using Go&Deal.

10. What is the bid-offer spread?

The bid (less commonly: bid rate or bid price) is the rate at which a
bank is prepared to buy securities, currencies or other tradable
products from a counterparty seller.

The offer or ask price is the price at which a bank is prepared to
sell securities, currencies or other tradable products to a
counterparty buyer.

The bid-offer spread is the difference between the prices at which
securities, currencies or other tradable products can be bought and
sold. Depending on the market’s liquidity, this spread can be wider
(low liquidity) or narrower (high liquidity).

11. What is the value date?

The value date of a transaction is the date on which the transaction
is settled.

12. What is an LEI?

LEI stands for Legal Entity Identifier. Every legal entity on the
financial market must apply for an LEI. This unique code boosts
financial market transparency and risk management and lets us meet
reporting obligations.

An LEI costs 89 euros excluding VAT and is valid for one year.
These are the current LEI providers in Belgium:

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